


What Lurks in the Shadows

by AyItsJay



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Prophetic Visions, Sacrifice Chloe Ending, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-03-28 19:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13911027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyItsJay/pseuds/AyItsJay
Summary: Max is devastated after letting her best friend die in order to save her hometown. When Chloe's sacrifice does nothing to prevent the tornado, Max decides to jump back in time once again, thanks to the help of a mysterious stranger. But she needs to be careful, because the storm isn't the only threat. Arcadia Bay hides an even bigger secret that puts Max and everyone she loves in danger.





	1. A Dark Place

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I'm terrible at summaries. This is also my second post on here and I'm still trying to get the hang of the site, so my apologies if there are any mistakes.

_"...and Max Caulfield. Don't you forget about me."_  
  
"Chloe!" Max shot up from her bed, beads of sweat racing down her forehead. Her blue eyes shot from side to side before she fully realized her surroundings. She huffed, flopping back down onto her bed and pulling the covers over her face. She knew she had class soon if it hadn't started already, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her room. Leaving meant facing reality, a shitty reality at that. One where Chloe died, feeling alone and abandoned on a cold bathroom floor, just thinking about it made her blood boil.  
  
She didn't have the chance to think about it for long, as the beep from her alarm clock interrupted her train of thought. She turned onto her stomach, burrowing under one of her pillows in hopes of drowning out the annoying beeping. When that didn't work, she rolled over onto her side, wrapping the pillow around her head. Finally, she emerged from her cocoon of blankets with a groan, tossing the first thing she could get her hands on at the alarm clock. The small pillow hit the desk at the foot of her bed and knocked the alarm clock to the floor, taking a speaker and a cup of pencils with it in the process. She collapsed back down onto her bed as the beeping stopped, replaced by the obnoxious voice of a local radio host.  
  
"Which brings me to my next segment, titled **'What the hell is going on in Arcadia Bay?'** " Max shot up from her bed again, her anger rising. "I'm sure you're all aware of the situation, but if you've been living under a rock for the past week, allow me to sum it up for you. On Monday, we get this crazy snowfall. Now I know what you're thinking, 'Snow? So what? Even though it's October, it's global warming, whatever, no big deal.' Alright fine, you got me, maybe a little snow isn't that bizarre. But then, Tuesday night rolls around, and BAM! An eclipse happens, but nononono, not just any old eclipse. An unexpected one. Unplanned. Unanticipated. Even NASA was like, 'We don't know shit.' Okay maybe they didn't use those exact words, but they may as well have. But wait, there's more! If all this hasn't convinced you yet, yesterday we got reports of dead birds piling up all over the place. All over town, birds just... falling out of the sky. On top of that, tons of dead whales are beached down by the docks. So what's going on? Super Global Warming? Religious reckoning? The end of the world as we know it? And what's going to happen today? Call in now; I wanna hear what you guys are thinkin-"  
  
Max pulled the power cord out of the socket as hard as she could. She couldn't handle the voice on the radio taunting her, reminding her that she failed. Not only did she lose her best friend all over again, but as far as she could tell, the tornado was still on track to flatten Arcadia Bay. She threw the cord back against her desk, then found a place to sit down on the floor next to her bed, being careful enough not to ruin the stack of polaroids in front of her.  
  
_There has to be a way to fix this,_ Max contemplated to herself as she spread the photos out in front of her. She'd gone through them a bunch of times already throughout the week, but could never find the right photo. Even if she did find a photo to jump through, she honestly wasn't sure if she should. Chloe seemed to believe that her destiny was to die and Max couldn't deny it made sense, in a morbid way. Bearing in mind the moment they shared at the lighthouse when Chloe asked her to save her mom and everyone else over her, it felt wrong to go against her wish. But that was before Max knew what she knows now, and if Chloe's death didn't stop the tornado, would she still make that same choice? Max had more questions than answers, and all these hypotheticals were quickly giving her a headache.  
  
Max's phone vibrated against her nightstand, startling her out of her thoughts. She stretched out, grabbing it quickly and sitting back down. After seeing the caller ID, she let it go to her voicemail and returned to her photos.  
  
"Ms. Caulfield, it has come to my attention that you have missed the past two days of class without notice to any of your teachers. I know it must have been terrible to witness what transpired on Monday, but I'm sure you know that life must go on. I don't have to tell you that education is crucial, especially for a young adult like yourself. Blackwell students are the embodiment of perseverance and courage; I have no doubt you will overcome this setback. If you need to talk my office is always open. I hope to hear about your return to class. Have a good rest of the day, Maxine."  
  
"'Life must go on?' I watched my best friend die three days ago, and that's the best you got?" Max spat out in disgust, her hand clenching into a shaky fist and tears blurring her vision. "Fuck you!" She cried out, throwing her phone across the room and watching it shatter into a million pieces. Her eyes fixated on the pieces scattered on the floor until her ragged breathing calmed and her mind soothed. She wiped away the moisture from her eyes, regretting letting her anger get the better of her. She raised her hand and used her rewind power, her phone returning to her nightstand. It wasn't long before it rang again, and Max went to send Principal Wells to voicemail like she did the first time, but hesitated. His words echoed in her mind, causing her earlier regret to dissipate, replaced by something much stronger.  
  
"Yeah?" Max snapped with as much attitude as she could muster.  
  
"Ms. Caulfield, glad to see you're still alive and well." Principal Wells said, disregarding Max's tone. "I'm calling because-"  
  
"I know why you're calling." Max quickly cut him off. "I've been skipping class. But it's only been two days. Give me a fucking break."  
  
"Ms. Caulfield, I know what you are going through is tough but-"  
  
"You do? So this has happened to you? You've seen someone you love take their last breath while you were helpless to do anything but watch?"  
  
"Well no, when you put it that way...not exactly but I-"  
  
"Then how the **fuck** could you know what I'm going through?"  
  
"Listen I know you and that girl were friends but-"  
  
"Her name was Chloe. You know that."  
  
"Let me finish young lady. I know you cared for Ms. Price but be mindful of your choices now. Education is of the utmost importance and here at Blackwell-"  
  
"I don't give a shit about Blackwell or anything else you have to say."  
  
"Well you should. I know you've been through a traumatic experience Ms. Caulfield, but this is beyond that. We obviously need to talk about your future here; I'll be sending David over to escort you."  
  
"Go fuck yourself."  
  
Max hung up quickly, unsure of where that all came from. Maybe it was all the bullshit she's been through in the past week, maybe it was everything she's bottled up since Monday, or perhaps it was Chloe rubbing off on her. It didn't matter, as satisfying as that was, getting expelled from Blackwell would just add on to her gigantic list of problems.  
  
Max raised her hand once more, rewinding back to the point before Principal Wells called. She figured that since whatever higher being gave her this power, even after she let Chloe die, she might as well use it for her own benefit. She already tried the 'saving everyone' route, and that went less than ideal, to say the least.  
  
_Shit!_ She stopped in her tracks, her hands shooting up to the sides of her head. _Take it easy, Max. No more abusing your rewind, even if that asshole deserved it._ She gritted her teeth, trying to fight off a pounding headache as she rose to her feet. Using the bed to keep her balance, she slowly made her way to the desk on the other side of the room. She snatched her water bottle quickly, taking as big of drink as her body allowed, hoping it was enough to stop herself from passing out. The pounding sensation in her skull only seemed to worsen, echoing through the entire room. It took her a moment to realize it was actually someone at her door.  
  
"Go away," Max ordered, not wanting to deal with whoever was on the other side of the door.  
  
"Sorry to bother you Max, I just wanted to talk." Kate's soft voice answered in response, instantly making Max feel terrible for her previous comment.  
  
"I'm sorry Kate, I wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" Max asked through the door.  
  
"Second period doesn't start for a few more minutes," Kate revealed, causing Max to realize how isolated she'd been since Chloe died. Her alarm went off in the morning, but that was about as much awareness of time she had. The heavy blinds on her window blocked out almost all natural sunlight, which ultimately didn't even matter when all she did was sleep and wallow in self-pity all day and night anyway. "But I wanted to talk. Mind if I come in?"  
  
"Uhh," Max paused, not wanting Kate to see her like this. "Maybe after school, I'm kinda busy right now." As if she couldn't feel anymore shitty, now she was lying to Kate. It wasn't a good lie either; everyone knew she had been holed up in her dorm since Monday.  
  
"Please, Max."  
  
Max couldn't deny her friend, especially someone as sweet as Kate. She opened the door slowly, trying to gauge her friend's reaction. "Hey, Kate." Max greeted, almost in a whisper.  
  
"Oh, Max…" Kate trailed off, noticing the dark circles under her friend's eyes. Kate knew Max was having a rough time, but it was worse than she imagined. "You can't live like this," she said as she stepped further inside, the blinds creating a grim tone that spread across the entire room. She had no idea how Max could stay holed up here at all, let alone for days. "C'mon we need to get you out of here," Kate said, reaching for Max's hand.  
  
"I don't wanna go anywhere," Max replied stubbornly, withdrawing her hand.  
  
"At least come get something to eat, you look like you haven't eaten in days."  
  
_Lunch on Monday? No. Granola bar on Wednesday night. Or was it Tuesday?_ Max couldn't remember the last time she ate. She didn't care; she wasn't hungry. The only thing she could think about was finding the right photo, and using it to fix everything.  
  
"Max? Hello?" Kate snapped Max back to reality. "You zoned out. You feeling okay?"  
  
"What? Yeah of course. I just gotta get back to-"  
  
"Whoa, Max. Your nose!" Kate exclaimed before reaching for a tissue in her bag.  
  
"Thanks," Max said as she took the tissue from her friend and plugged up her nosebleed. "I get them from time to time, no big deal."  
  
"You sure? I could go get the nurse."  
  
"You're going to be late to class, Kate, don't worry about me." Max dismissed, scratching the back of her neck nervously.  
  
"I do worry about you Max," Kate responded, pulling Max into a hug. "I can tell you want to be left alone now, just know I am here if you want to talk."  
  
"Thanks, Kate, you're the best," Max said as she reciprocated the hug, relaxing just a tiny bit.  
  
_If anything good came out of this timeline,_ Max thought as she watched her friend leave, _it's definitely Kate getting justice for what happened to her without being pushed to the edge of a rooftop._  
  
_Okay, now think Max. The answer has to be here somewhere. There has to be a way to do everything. Save Chloe, get justice for Kate, lock up Jeffershit._ Max's thoughts were again interrupted, this time by another knock on the door.  
  
"Kate you're the sweetest but believe me, I'll be fine. Just get to class. I even promise that I'll eat something," she shouted at her door, her eyes not leaving the polaroids. Another knock on the door jolted her attention away from her photos, this time the knock was more aggressive and with purpose.  
  
"Kate? Is that you?" Max asked with apprehension, still seated on the floor. She waited for an answer but didn't hear anything else. She got up slowly, the piercing light under the door told her whoever was knocking was gone. Still, she cautiously opened it, hoping her rewind power would work if she needed it. She poked her head out, peering from left to right, finding nothing but a quiet, empty hallway. She shook her head at how ridiculous she was acting, starting to close the door before noticing a white envelope taped to it, labeled with her name. She looked around again before carefully prying it from the wood before retreating back into her domain.  
  
Max sat down on the edge of her bed, her curiosity rising with every second that passed. The envelope wasn't sealed, and as she turned it over a letter fell out, along with it a polaroid. She hastily picked it up, not wanting it to get ruined.  
  
"What the hell?" Max couldn't help but utter out loud, studying the picture intensely. She double checked her own polaroids, making sure this was the one that fell out of the envelope. When there was no doubt left, she shot up from her bed. She rushed into the hallway, wanting to catch whoever left her this. She hurried to the end of the hallway and peeked through the window of the door that led downstairs, seeing no one. Everyone else was in class, so the empty halls meant no witnesses to help her.

Max made her way back to her room but stopped at her door, an idea forming in her brain. She could rewind back to when the stranger was knocking and catch them in the act. She touched the tissue paper still in her nose, reminding herself of her earlier abuse of her power. Her headache had lessened since she talked to Kate but it was still there. Regardless, she had to try. Max raised her hand, feeling time around her began to warp.  
  
_Not again!_ Max groaned as the pounding in her head returned, reaching an almost unbearable level in an instant. She fell to her knees, clutching her head. She took a few deep breaths, trying to regulate her breathing and prevent any further damage. After a moment, she opened her eyes tentatively, thankful for not falling unconscious in her deserted dorm hallway. She returned to her room once more, sitting down at her desk with the contents of the mysterious envelope.  
  
"You shouldn't exist…" Max muttered, running a finger across the picture to make sure it was real and not a figment of her imagination. It was of her, Chloe and David on the Thursday that Max went back and convinced Chloe to stay indoors instead of searching for Nathan at the Vortex Club party. The only problem was that when Max went back in time and let Chloe die in the bathroom, it erased this from ever happening. How could she be holding a photo of something that never technically happened? She cursed herself for abusing her rewind earlier in the morning. She had so many questions, questions that only the person who left her this envelope could answer.  
  
_You can save everyone._ **FOLLOW THE LETTER.** _Follow the mustang._ Max read off the back of the photo.  
  
_Why are the most important instructions always so cryptic?_ She thought, setting the photo down and unfolding the letter. It was disappointingly bare, except for a list of steps under the label **'Photo Jump'.** Max found that odd, whoever left this obviously knew about her time power, so why would they leave her instructions? Especially instructions that were so thorough compared to the way she usually does it. It didn't matter; she finally had her photo, which meant she had a shot at making things right. If she was going to take on the storm, she wasn't going to do it alone. She took one last look around her overwhelmingly depressing room, which only further confirmed her decision.  
  
"I'm coming, Chloe."


	2. Upgrade!

Max narrowed her eyes as she sat on the edge of her bed, trying to focus in on the polaroid in her hand. She could _hear_ the photo, which told her she was close to jumping, but for the second time in a row the sounds fizzled out. She snapped her eyes shut in annoyance, not sure if the problem was her headache, or maybe she was subconsciously trying to prevent herself from messing up any more timelines, but whatever it was it was stopping her from getting that last bit of focus she needed to complete the jump. She rubbed her temples, seriously regretting abusing her rewind earlier in the morning.

_**FOLLOW THE LETTER.**_ Max reread the back of the Polaroid. She figured it was important since they went out of their way to capitalize and bold the whole phrase, the text equivalent of screaming it at her. She decided to give it a shot; it’s not like her usual way was working right now anyway. She exchanged the photo for the letter, rereading the instructions thoroughly.

_Close my eyes? How am I supposed to focus on the photo if I close my eyes?_ Max wondered as she read the first step, already beginning to question this new ‘technique.’

After she memorized the process, Max put the letter aside and picked the photo back up. She held it tightly with both hands and closed her eyes, following the instructions exactly. She cleared her mind and tried to focus on the memory of the photo more than the photo itself, waiting for the sounds to fill her ears like it usually does when she time jumps.

Her mind raced as the silence she received in return furthered her skepticism. She opened one eye slightly, never being more disappointed to see her posters on the wall across from her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, giving it one last shot. She held her breath, staying perfectly still, hoping this would work. After foolishly wasting more of her time without as much as a murmur from that memory, she gave up.

“I knew this would be bullshit,” Max said as she couldn’t help but express her frustration out loud, her eyes still closed.

“Now hold on a second,” a familiar voice answered her unexpectedly. “I’m just trying to get the facts straight before I do anything drastic.”

“No, Max is right, this is bullshit! We gave you these two dickheads on a silver platter and if you wait any longer there isn’t going to be any evidence left! They know we’re on to them!”

Max froze for a moment, hearing that second unmistakable voice threw everything in her being off balance. She felt her legs buckle, her brain trying to remind her that she was now somehow standing up. A chilling breeze attacked the skin exposed from her rolled up sleeves, and she wasn’t exactly sure when all these changes around her happened. She opened her eyes slowly, unsure if she should believe all the signs her body was telling her.

“Just don’t do anything drastic. I need to make some calls, I’ll take care of this,” David ordered before rushing off into the Price household.

“Alright, now what do we do Ma-” Chloe started to say as she turned around back towards her best friend.

“Chloe!” Max exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the blue-haired girl’s neck, her emotions overwhelming her.

“Yeah, we fucking did it!” Chloe celebrated, thinking it was the reason for the embrace. She laughed and tried to pull away, but the shorter girl kept a tight grip. “Max I know you’re like totally into me but at least try to hide it a bit.” Chloe jested with a playful smirk but her expression turned sour quickly as Max relaxed her grip, revealing the stream of tears down her face. “Shit Max what’s wrong?”

“You died, Chloe. You died and I still had my powers and the tornado was still going to flatten Arcadia Bay and-”

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down,” Chloe instructed, grabbing the brunette by the shoulders. “Is this another one of those ‘Meta-Max’ moments?” She asked, referring to Max’s time jumps.

Max weakly nodded in response, wiping away the moisture from her face. “Someone left a picture of this moment on my door and I…” She trailed off, her expression changing in an instant as her eyes darted to the houses shrouded in darkness across the street.

“And you what?” Chloe inquired, struggling to keep her friend’s attention. “Max, what’s going on?” She went on, following Max’s gaze but finding nothing out of the ordinary.

“They’re watching us,” Max said quietly, her eyes never leaving a specific front yard across the street.

“Who is?” Chloe pleaded for more information. “Nathan? Jefferson?”

“Chloe we need to find whoever left me that photo. Something is going on, and I don’t know what but they do. Whoever took it had to be somewhere over there.” Max revealed and nodded her head in the direction of a house across the street, not wanting to point, just in case they were still watching. She squinted, struggling to see anything in the darkness.

“Max I don’t see anything,” Chloe commented, starting to wonder if time travel was beginning to fry her best friend’s brain.

“There!” Max shouted as she broke into a sprint, seeing a shadow move in the darkness.

“Wait!”

Max rushed across the street, narrowly missing a passing vehicle as she followed the shadow to the backyard of a house, with Chloe quickly in tow. Max scanned the area, seeing a gate that led to the alley behind the house wide open. She rushed through it and into the alley, scanning both directions as Chloe finally caught up.

“Can we take a second to...to…” Chloe stopped as she bent over, her hands on her knees.

“We need… to find…” Max trailed off as well, both girls trying to catch their breath.

“Got you fucker!” Chloe used all the oxygen left in her lungs to call out, pointing down to the end of the alley, seeing someone trying to sneak away.

The two used what energy they had left to sprint down the alley, reaching the end of it just in time to see a black car speed away.

“Get back here you dick!” Chloe screamed as she kicked dirt towards the car fading into the distance. “That’s enough exercise, for like, forever.” She added in between huge breaths after turning back to her best friend.

“Yeah, I can’t believe your stoner lungs haven’t exploded already,” Max teased, smirking widely.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you huffing and puffing back there too, MAXINE!” Chloe shot back, watching as Max’s expression changed for the worst. “Truce?”

“Truce,” the brunette conceded, shooting a glare at Chloe for her betrayal.

“Damn it, I can’t believe we did all that fucking running for nothing!”

“Maybe not,” Max said with an intense look in her eyes as she raised her hand.

“Aw yeah, Mad Max about to bend time and space to her will! Redo it and let’s catch this douchebag!”

Max focused her mind and raised her hand, ready to try the chase again, but nothing happened. She let out a nervous laugh and shook off her hand before trying once more.

“Shit!”

“Don’t worry Max, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to thousands of people every ye-” Chloe joked, her smug expression unchanged.

“Shut up,” Max retorted while trying to suppress her laughter. “This is serious! Why can’t I rewind?” She added out loud to herself.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re all ‘Meta Max’? Chloe said with a shrug.

“Wait a second,” Max said as she looked around, not noticing the usual barriers that showed up when she jumped through a photo. “I shouldn’t be able to be this far away from where the photo was taken.”

“Okay, going to need an explanation here.”

“Every time I’ve jumped into a photo, the area around me after the jump would be fine. But the further away from the place the photo was taken, the more reality....” Max stopped as she hunched over, her vision blurring.

“Max? Hey, are you okay?” Chloe leaned down, placing her hand on Max’s lower back for support.

“Yeah, sorry, what?” Max answered back as her vision slowly returned to normal.

“You were talking, then you just totally zoned out.” Chloe looked over her best friend, worried for her well being.

“Oh, yeah, uh…”

“The more reality…” Chloe repeated, hoping it would help.

“Um, got distorted, I guess.”

“And there’s no distortion now?”

“N-none,” Max answered, staring up at the beautiful night sky, intrigued by the way the stars swirled around above her.

“That’s a good thing right?” Chloe asked, her worry mounting as Max seemed out of it.

“Yeah I-I-” The brunette stuttered as the dizzying sensation overwhelmed her and she collapsed.

“Max!” Chloe cried out, reaching out and catching the fainting girl just before she hit the sidewalk.

 

[...]

 

“Thank fuck,” Chloe let out a sigh after seeing the brunette starting to stir. “Are you still Max?”

“I’m always Max,” she sheepishly replied as she sat up, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision.

“You know what I mean, hippie.” Chloe rolled her eyes before continuing, “Are you still Meta Max?”

Max racked her brain, remembering every second she spent with Chloe during the ‘week that never happened.’ She felt the familiar pang in her chest as she re-lived everything that happened between them at the lighthouse. The best moment of her life, quickly followed by the worst, then somehow it went even further downhill in the days following.

“Yeah, still Meta-me, I remember... everything.”

“Care to fill me in then? I know bits and pieces from what you said earlier, but if something is up, I’ma need the full story.”

Max grimaced at the thought of telling Chloe that she let her die, even if it was her choice in a different timeline. She was also embarrassed at how she completely shut down after Chloe’s death; maybe it was better if she just left that part out.

_Might as well get it over with, she deserves to know,_ Max thought to herself before taking a deep breath and telling Chloe everything.

“It was horrible Chloe,” Max spilled after finishing her story, unsuccessfully trying to keep her emotions in check. “It was like leaving you all over again, but worse, way worse. Instead of just leaving you behind in Arcadia Bay, you were… you were dea-” The brunette stopped, not wanting to finish her thought.

“Hey hey,” Chloe hurried from her desk over to Max, sitting down next to her on the bed. “I’m here now, okay? And this time I’m not going anywhere. ‘Max and Chloe forever’, right?”

“Forever,” Max confirmed before she latched onto Chloe, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of the punk’s neck.

“Not to ruin the moment,” Chloe finally spoke up as they broke apart, Max wiping away the tears. “But what happens now?”

“This jump has been way different than any of my previous ones. I don’t know when I’m going to get zapped back to my timeline if that even happens at all.”

“Because of the new way you jumped, right?” Chloe asked, still trying to make sense of everything Max told her. “Which that random stranger we chased after taught you how?”

“Well, I’m not sure it was them exactly, but if they took the picture they probably at least know who left it at my door,” Max explained.

“And that stranger helped you level up your powers, what? Out of the goodness of their heart?”

“I have no idea, Chloe. I’m in the dark as much as you are,” Max answered.

“In my experience, those are the people you have to watch out for the most,” Chloe warned, already disliking this stranger they encountered. “Nobody helps out of the goodness of their heart. This person sounds shady as fuck.”

“Hey!” Max chided, slightly offended. “I’m trying to help people out of the goodness of my heart. It feels like that’s all I’ve been trying to do since I got this power.”

“That’s different, Max. You’re actually a fucking superhero,” Chloe gushed, turning to her best friend.

“Well, I honestly couldn’t do it without my trusty blue-haired badass sidekick,” Max replied with a huge smile.

“I love ya too you mushy hippie,” Chloe said, wrapping an arm around Max’s neck. “Is there anything else these cryptic assholes told you?”

“All I know is they told me I could save everyone… oh yeah, and to follow a horse.”

“Follow a horse?” Chloe repeated, unsure if the brunette was serious. “What the fuck does that mean? Like an actual horse?”

“Once again, in the dark as much as you are,” the brunette reiterated.

“Okay, well, let’s forget about the stranger, or strangers, for a second, even though they sound like a bigger threat than what’s coming tomorrow. What are we going to do about the storm?”

“Save as many people who will listen to us,” Max said simply.

“How will we do that?” Chloe questioned skeptically.

“I honestly have no clue,” Max responded. “We’ll find a way.”

“We always do,” Chloe said with a smile before looking over at her clock, seeing how late it was. “Shit, Max. Do you know what time the storm hits tomorrow?

“I think it hits right before noon. But that was a different timeline, who knows if it will happen the exact same way tomorrow.”

“Well then, If we’re going to save the world and find your creepy stalker we’re gonna need some sleep,” Chloe suggested as she made her way to her drawer. “Here, these should fit.”

Max nodded as she took the pajamas from Chloe, starting for the door.

“You stripped down to the nitty gritty in front me at the pool, where we could have been interrupted at _any_ time, but now you’re too shy all of sudden when we’re all _alone_ in my room?” Chloe pointed out with a grin.

“Shut up, you perverted punk!” Max whispered from the hallway, not wanting to wake up Joyce.

“Damn right Super-Max, I’ll be here waiting,” Chloe whispered back.

Max slowly tiptoed her way across the hall, keeping as quiet as she possibly could. After making it to the safety of the bathroom, she changed out of her clothes, shuffling them into a pile on the floor. She caught her reflection in the glass of the medicine cabinet in front of her, taken aback by her red, puffy eyes.

_That was enough crying for at least two whole timelines,_ she thought, smiling at her cheesy joke. She turned the water on, bringing handfuls up to her face, hoping it would help. Feeling a bit refreshed, she decided to see if her power came back yet.

_Damn it, what the fuck is happening?_ She thought to herself as her power failed her again. She decided there was nothing she could do about it for now and retreated back to Chloe’s room, smiling when she heard the punk’s all too familiar quiet snore. She climbed up onto the bed slowly, careful enough to not wake up the blue-haired girl.

_She looks so peaceful,_ Max thought as she sat on the other side of the bed. She cautiously pried her phone out from her pocket, not wanting to risk waking Chloe up by using her usual camera. She tilted forward a bit to find the perfect angle to document the way the moonlight filtered in through the bedroom window, casting Chloe in an unbelievably beautiful glow. She smiled down at the phone in her hands, beyond happy with the way it turned out.

She stretched a bit as she yawned, feeling the events of the day creep up on her. She shook her head in an attempt to keep the sleepiness away, deciding to stay up a little longer since she was unsure of what was going to happen after tonight. No matter what happened to her, no matter where she ended up, there was one thing this night made her sure of.

_Max and Chloe, forever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for not putting this in the beginning but this story will have spoilers for all LiS and BtS episodes. This specific chapter has BtS spoilers so beware! Thanks for the kudos and thanks for reading!

Max jolted awake, the strong odor that filled the room invading her airways and sending her into a coughing fit. She took a look around to locate the smell that woke her, seeing Chloe sitting on her desk with her hand hanging out the window.

“Sorry, dude,” the blue-haired girl said as she puffed out a cloud of smoke, putting out whatever she was smoking and hopping onto her feet. “But it’s about time you woke your skinny ass up.”

“What time is it?” She questioned, noticing the sun was barely peeking over the horizon outside Chloe’s window.

“Almost eight,” Chloe answered, before asking a question of her own. “How are you feeling?”

“Well I’m still Meta Max if that’s what you mean,” Max revealed, swinging her feet off the bed and rising to a sitting position. “At this point, I’m pretty sure you can just go back to ‘Max’ now.”

"Wow, so that letter was the real deal huh? You got an actual upgrade to your power!”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Whoa, that’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you successfully upgraded your powers! Do you know what this means, what kinda possibilities this opens up? Who knows what other neat tricks are locked inside that pretty little head of yours! What if you can unlock x-ray vision or some shit?!” Chloe gushed, excited beyond belief.

“Yeah, I appreciate the upgrade, but ever since I jumped I feel a little out of it... kinda weak. Not to mention I haven’t been able to rewind,” Max argued as she stretched her sore limbs.

“Maybe it’s just the new jump, like since it’s more powerful, it takes a bit for you to get back to full charge or whatever. Kinda like how you get nose bleeds and shit when you use your rewind too much,” Chloe theorized with a shrug.

“I hope it’s that simple. Maybe the photo stranger can fill in the blanks when we catch them.”

“That is another issue entirely,” Chloe started her thought, dragging her chair over to where Max sat on the bed. “There is someone out there that knows about your power… and we have no clue who they are. I’d think the ability to rewind time would be something you don’t want people knowing, right?” She asked in a low voice, getting a nod from Max in response. “They even know where you live. Doesn’t that scare you? Hell, that scares the fuck outta me!”

“Of course it does, Chole! But none of that will matter if the tornado flattens Arcadia Bay,” Max reasoned.

“Well, lead the way then Bat-Max. Your Batsuit is in the basket by the door; Mom washed them this morning before going to work.”

_Joyce is the best_ , Max thought to herself as she fetched her clothes and headed to the bathroom. She changed quickly and returned to Chloe’s room, her mind racing to find a solution to the storm.

“Alright Max, the fate of the city rests on our shoulders,” Chloe said as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. “What should we do?”

“We should at least try nine-one-one, right?” Max suggested, unsure.

“And tell them what? ‘My vision of the future is about to come true. Everybody evacuate before you all die’? They’re gonna think you’re a terrorist,” Chloe replied, causing Max to roll her eyes.

“Well, I won’t say it like that!” Max exclaimed, before thinking for a moment. “I have to at least try, but you’re right, I don’t think it’s going to work. Maybe you could try getting the word out in a different way.”

“How?”

“Maybe through the radio? In the other timeline, this radio host was talking about the crazy weather in Arcadia Bay, and he was taking calls from listeners. He might not believe you, but if one person hears it and listens then it’ll be worth it.”

“Better than nothing.” Chloe shrugged. “Okay, what was the station?”

“Um, I don’t know,” Max answered sheepishly.

“What? How do you not know?”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly listening to it on purpose,” Max added, seeing the confused look on her best friend’s face. “I threw something at my radio, and that was the station it tuned to after it fell to the floor, okay?!”

“Whoa, alright Mad Max, no need to rage on me too, save it for your radio.” Chloe mocked, smiling a bit. “I’ll find the station myself somehow, and you see if you can convince a nine-one-one operator that the storm is coming.” Chloe directed but grabbed Max by the arm before she could head out the door. “And Max?”

“Yeah?” The brunette asked as the atmosphere in the room turned intense, but only for a moment.

“Try not to break anything if they don’t believe you,” Chloe said, laughing at Max’s incredulous reaction.

“You’re such a dork,” Max commented with a smirk of her own as she left the room.

“Hey, I love my radio so please don’t break it!” She heard Chloe shout through the door after as it closed.

_Alright, Max, just the fate of Arcadia Bay hanging on this phone call, no pressure. I just need to be careful how I word this; I don’t need the police and FBI locking us up as the storm kills us all._ She thought back to Chloe’s ‘terrorist’ comment as she typed the three digits into her phone.

“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?”

“Hi, uh, I’m not sure if this is the right number to call for this, but there is an emergency.”

“Okay miss, just stay calm. Can I get your name?”

_Shit, do I give her my name? I should have thought this through more,_ Max reflected before the voice on the other line interrupted her, forcing her to make a quick decision.

“Are you still there, ma’am? Do you need medical assistance?”

“Yes, I’m still here,” Max replied before taking a deep breath. “My name is Max Caulfield, but that’s not important. What’s important is getting everyone evacuated, there is a huge storm coming and it’s going to flatten Arcadia Bay!”

“Max, this line is for emergencies only. If you need first responders-”

“This _is_ an emergency!” Max pleaded. “The storm is coming and people are in danger!”

“Okay Max, take it easy,” the operator said with an unreadable tone. “This ‘storm’ you’re talking about, how do you know about it? The weather reported for today is only supposed to be a mild thunderstorm.”

“I’ve… I’ve seen it.”

“Okay Max, how have you seen it, exactly?” The operator asked as Max heard muffled voices in the background. “Alright Max, I’m going to need you to tell me where you are, okay?”

_Fuck, fuck, fuck! They think I’m a crazy person! Hurry, come up with a lie, something, anything!_

Max cleared her throat, hoping to sound convincing, “well, I haven’t seen the storm itself, I’ve seen the warning signs. I’ve been running my program that tracks the atmosphere and its conditions, and it’s telling me that the wind shear and the pressure systems are far worse than people think. A huge tornado is coming!” Max explained, utilizing different words and phrases she’s heard Warren use whenever he geeked out about the weather.

“This program, you built it yourself?”

“Uh, yes? From scratch, it monitors… like weather and rain and stuff. It’s accurate but I’m still working out the kinks.”

“I see,” the operator noted as Max heard more muffled voices, letting out a huge sigh when she heard the phrase ‘not a threat.’ “Well, Ms. Caulfield this line is for emergencies only, I’m sure you can work this out by yourself.”

“Yesofcoursesorrybye,” Max blurted out, hanging up as quickly as her fingers let her. She hastily made her way back to Chloe’s room, a bit relieved. “Well, that was a terrible plan and I’m pretty sure I’m on a watchlist now, but at least the police won’t be knocking down the door anytime soon,” she revealed, seeing the blue-haired girl sitting at her desk, still on the phone.

“Thanks, David, really,” Chloe said sincerely, turning away as she saw Max and wiping away at her eyes.

“Hey, what happened?” Max asked, hurrying to Chloe’s side.

“That was David; they caught Nathan and Jefferson last night. He said Nathan flipped on Jefferson hella fast, and with the evidence David already collected there is no way either of them are getting away with what they did.”

“Good, they deserve whatever they get,” Max added fiercely. “Are you okay?”

“I will be now, thanks Max,” Chloe took a deep breath before continuing. “So, apparently that douche’s show is hella popular, I was still on hold when David called. Now what?”

“We need to warn Joyce and David, and if we can’t get the word out, we need to save who we can by ourselves.”

“Well, there is no way David is going to believe us, even after last night.”

“To the Two Whales we go then,” Max said as both girls headed for the door, Chloe checking the time before they left the house. Both of them took in the early sunlight, the weather showing no signs of the destruction that was to come.

“Max, do you mind if we make a quick stop first?” Chloe asked as she started her truck. “It won’t take long, I promise.”

“Yeah, of course,” Max replied, Chloe’s rigid demeanor causing the brunette to wait and see where their new destination was instead of prying.

 

[...]

  
Max felt her stress levels rise even higher as the truck pulled up to the junkyard. She wondered what they were doing there as she turned to Chloe, who had her head down on the steering wheel. Max placed her hand on the punk girl’s shoulder, which snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I have to do something here,” Chloe said, placing her hand on top of Max’s. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course,” Max replied as Chloe took a huge breath and opened her car door. Max did the same, noticing how quickly the dark clouds above moved in since they left the house.

Max followed Chloe as she slowly made her way through the junkyard, making their way past a broken down bus before stopping at a dirt path that ran parallel to the junkyard. They looked down the pathway at the hole where Rachel’s body used to be. The hole was bigger now, and Max figured it was because the police had extracted the remains sometime during the night. She felt uneasy being back here as she looked to Chloe on what to do next.

“I won’t take long,” was all Chloe said as she approached the hole in the ground.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Max murmured, staying behind as Chloe continued ahead.

“Hey, Rach,” Chloe muttered as she sat down across from the empty hole, unsure if she should even be doing this. She thought about it for a moment, but let out a small laugh at herself instead as her mind wandered, “I remember when we first found this place, we had that stupid fight and you decided to leave. Then in a desperate attempt to get you to stay, I told you how I felt about you, about us, after less than a day. God, I felt like such an idiot when you left anyway, I fucking smashed anything I could get my hands on here. I was hella fucking angry, but if I’m being honest, I was scared. Scared I fucked up the only good thing that I had in my life at that point.” Chloe said as she swiped at her eyes, trying to keep her composure. “But I didn’t, and we were good. Fixing up the truck, our ‘therapy session, hell even the play, everything was good. At least until that asshole Damon showed up, what he did to you... That wait in the hospital was fucking awful, thinking you were gone forever… and now… fuck.” Chloe cursed, her resolve weakening. She laughed again as she used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, hoping she could keep it together, “but we got them Rachel, I don’t know who exactly did what to you and I don’t wanna know, but I hope you somehow know that those fuckers are going to pay for what they did, and they aren’t going to hurt anybody ever again.” Chloe sniffled, looking up at the sky as heavy raindrops started falling. “Shit, I guess I better go Rach. Max and I have to go save the world. Yeah, that Max, she did come back after all. I guess you won that bet, so I owe you. I owe you for that… and so, so much more. I know I always said you were my angel, but maybe I can add a ‘guardian’ to the front of that, yeah? Max and I are heading straight into this storm and we’re going to need all the help we can get,” she paused as a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I know you would have really liked her; I wish you two had the chance to meet … Maybe in another lifetime. Goodbye, Rachel,” Chloe finished and stood up, not bothering to hide her emotions as the downpour soaked both girls.

“Chloe,” Max was barely able to choke out as she took her best friend into her arms, her own tears hidden by the rainfall.

“Let’s get out of the rain, Max.”

  
[...]

  
Max and Chloe sat in the parking lot of the Two Whales diner, neither girl knowing what to say after what transpired at the junkyard. So they sat in silence as Max looked out the window, seeing darker clouds starting to form out in the distance, meaning the storm was getting worse as time went on. She took out her phone to check the time, seeing they still had more than enough time before the tornado was supposed to show. She extended her other hand to the door before Chloe stopped her.

“When Rachel went missing, I told myself that when I found her, we’d sit down and talk our shit out,” Chloe explained as Max listened intently. “We were drifting apart; I think we both knew it, but we both were too scared to talk about. So, when she went missing, I felt like a had to find her. I had to have that talk.” Chloe sighed before continuing. “But that… that was a different type of talk, one I hoped I wouldn’t have to do.”

“Chloe, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Max tried comforting her as best she could. “It’s better to get that stuff out then to keep it bottle up.”

“I just... didn’t want you to think I was going crazy talking to an empty hole or some shit.”

“Chloe, my life has been the definition of crazy for the past week if you haven’t noticed,” Max said, hoping her best friend might cheer up a bit.

“Thanks, Max,” Chloe said softly before changing the subject. “But I have no idea how we’re going to convince my mom that an apocalypse is heading this way, but let’s do this shit.”

“Lead the way, Girl Wonder.”

They rushed through the rain and into the diner, noticing only one other person in a booth towards the back.

“Chloe, you’re up early,” Joyce noted as she emerged from the kitchen, a wary look on her face. “What happened to you two?”

“Hey, Joyce,” Max greeted back, looking over herself and Chloe, realizing how crazy they look. “It’s nothing, just got caught out in the rain, that’s all.”

“If you say so, Max. I just hope you two don’t catch pneumonia!”

“I think we’ll be fine, thank you, Joyce. Oh! And thanks for washing my clothes, you didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it.”

“No worries, Max. I love having you over-”

“We don’t have time for this shit!” Chloe exclaimed as she stepped closer to her mom, shocking Max and Joyce out of their conversation.

“Chloe!” Joyce tried scolding her daughter to little effect.

“Mom, we don’t have time, we need to get out of Arcadia Bay! Like right now!”

“Get out of Arcadia Bay? Chloe, what on Earth are you talking about?”

“There is a storm coming, okay? A hella bad one, we’re talking ‘Day After Tomorrow’ type shit,” Chloe explained, taking Joyce by the hand and trying to head for the door. “We’ll explain on the way.”

“Chloe are you nuts?!” Joyce shouted, pulling her hand away. “What are you talking about? A storm? It’s already storming; some rain ain’t nothing to worry about.”

“No, Mom, it’s going to get way worse. A tornado is coming and-”

“A tornado!?” Joyce interrupted, her patience wearing thin. “I watch the morning news, Chloe.”

“They’re wrong! A tornado is coming and it’s going to fucking destroy everything in its path, Arcadia Bay included, we need to go!”

Joyce put her hands to her head, rubbing her temples as she let out a sigh. “I thought we were past this, Chloe.”

“What?” The punk-rocker inquired, thrown off as her mom turned the tables. “Past what?”

“This about David, isn’t it?” Joyce asked in a disappointed tone. “Did you really think this was going to work? That’d I just leave Arcadia Bay and everything else behind? Chloe, we can all be a family here, if you just try to-”

“THIS IS NOT ABOUT DAVID!” Chloe erupted as Max jumped back. She grimaced, regretting her sudden outburst. She took a deep breath and tried again, “if we stay here, we are going to die. Please, Mom, listen to me.” She added, her voice cracking a tiny bit.

“Chloe, if you’d just talk to him, you’d see that he-”

“Holy shit,” Chloe spat, throwing her hands up as she rolled her eyes. She then looked at Max, giving her the go-ahead before taking a little walk across the diner to the window. The brunette stepped up as Chloe left to collect herself.

“Joyce, Chloe wasn’t lying,” Max started, trying to think of a way to convince the woman in front of her. “A massive tornado is about to hit Arcadia Bay.”

“Oh no, not you too, Max.”

“I’m serious,” Max pleaded. “You have to believe us!”

“Okay, Max,” Joyce conceded in a serious tone that intimidated the brunette. “Let’s say what you’re saying is true, how do you know this?”

“U-uhh,” Max stuttered, unsure how to answer that. She reminded herself about the Friday in the other timeline, the awful situation that most likely ended with Joyce dying in the diner. “Joyce, I have powers!” Max blurted out, thankful that the diner only had one other patron in it. “It showed me the storm. It’s coming in about two hours, and that really is the truth!”

“Is today ‘Mess with Joyce’ day? Did Chloe put you up to this?”

“No, I swear-”

“Max,” Joyce muttered as she let out a deep breath. “I wanted you to be a positive influence on her.”

“Joyce that’s not fair I-”

“Please, let me finish,” Joyce said softly. “I know you are a positive influence on her; I didn’t mean to say it that way. Overall, Chloe’s change since you entered her life again has been night and day, and I’m beyond grateful for that. But, as I’m sure you know, she can easily influence you as, as you do her. Now I know you’re an adult and you can make your own choices but you should be careful of her schemes, especially plots against David.”

“But this isn’t-”

“Now, I’m going to go back and cook up some fresh Belgian waffles and bacon. I’ll be out with some hot cocoa to warm you both up, hang tight.”

“Joyce-” Max tried to get a word in but Joyce quickly disappeared back into the kitchen.

“No luck, huh?” Chloe inquired as she rejoined Max by her side.

“She wouldn’t budge.”

“Now what? Do we just grab her and haul her off in my truck?” Chloe questioned as a dumbfounded look formed on Max’s face.

“We aren’t kidnapping your mother, Chloe. Actually, I don’t think it’s even physically possible for us,” Max retorted.

“Then what? We can’t leave her here!” Chloe argued before both girls thought for a moment.

“Maybe the only thing that’ll convince her is the storm itself,” Max theorized.

“Huh?”

“We wait until the storm hits, but not so bad that we can’t drive out. Then she’ll see how serious the tornado is for herself and we won’t need to convince her, we’ll all just get out of Arcadia Bay.”

“Hella risky, but it’s better than my plan.”

“What’s your plan?” Max requested before seeing the blue-haired girl’s face. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”

“Well, you shot down the kidnapping thing,” Chloe countered as she looked out the window, before continuing. “Wait Max, look!”

“What?!” The brunette looked out the window, seeing only a couple cars driving down the flooded street.

“The car parked down at the end of the block,” Chloe pointed out to Max, who was still unsure what was going on. Max figured this was how Chloe felt last night when she couldn’t tell what was going on right before they started their footrace with the photo stalker. She hated it.

“So?”

“That is a nineteen-seventy-one all black Mach One Ford M-”

“In English, Chloe!” Max begged, wondering when her best friend became such a ‘grease monkey.’

“It’s the car from last night!”

“What?! Are you sure?”

“I know it was dark but I know my cars, Max.”

“I believe you,” Max commented as she pressed up close against the window, trying to get a closer look. “What do you think they’re doing?”

“What do I think _the stalker_ is doing? Stalking us, or you probably.”

“Maybe it isn’t them, is that kind of car common?”

“I guess in general it is, but that was the first time I’ve seen a Mach One in Arcadia Bay.”

“Okay, we definitely need to talk about your car fetish when this is all over, but for now-”

“It is them!” Chloe proclaimed as the black car’s headlights flashed on and off.

“How can you tell, the windows are all tinted black? The owner could just be unlocking their car,” Max said, trying to remain reasonable.

“What about that?” Chloe added in response to the car’s headlights flickering on and off three more times. The last time the lights stayed on for a moment longer before finally turning off again. “That asshole is taunting us!” The blue-haired girl shouted, dragging Max by the hand out of the diner and into the rain.

“What are we going to do?” Max asked after both of them were in Chloe’s truck.

“Get some answers, ”Chloe said with determination as her truck roared to life and exploded out of the parking lot.

“Watch out!” Max screamed as Chloe rounded the corner, the truck screeching to a halt inches away from the black car.

“Holy fuck,” Chloe choked out through her ragged breaths. “I-I was expecting a high-speed chase.”

“What are they doing?” Max finally asked after the adrenaline shock wore off. As if on cue, the car’s engine turned on and it made its way slowly down the street.

“No way in Hell we follow them, right? Chasing them made sense, this… this seems more like a trap.”

“Follow them,” Max instructed without hesitation.

“You sure, Max?” Chloe asked as she looked at the time.

“We have to find out what they know, it’s important.”

  
[...]

  
“Are you getting a signal?” Max asked as she waved her hand around, hoping that would make her phone work again.

“Nope,” Chloe replied before stuffing her phone back into her pocket and refocusing on driving.

Max wasn’t sure if the cell phone outage was due to how far out of town they were, or maybe the increasingly deadly storm had knocked out cell towers. Whatever the case, she had to get the warning out to her friends; even if the messages never send, she had to try. She sent Kate, Victoria, and Warren a text warning them to round up as many people as they could then get to safety, but the swirling dots she received in returned indicated the phone was having trouble getting the texts out. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach concerning her friends, her only comfort being the fact that there was still time before the worst part of the storm arrived.

“Shit,” Chloe whispered, recognizing the dirt road they were taking. She looked past the black car in front of them to the fork in the road ahead that was quickly coming upon them. “Please don’t go right, please don’t go right, please don’t fucking go right.”

The car ahead of them sprang to life, blazing ahead of them, leaving a massive cloud of dust.

“Chloe, they’re getting away!”

“I’m trying Max but there’s no way we can keep up with a Mustang in this!”

“Wha-what did you say?” Max questioned, unsure she heard her best friend correctly.

“What? Why do you look like that? Are you about to pass out again?” Chloe asked, slowing the truck down and looking Max over.

“‘Follow the Mustang,’ that’s what the photo said, Chloe.”

“Great, as if this couldn’t look more like a trap now we’re listening to the stalker’s photo,” she noted as the truck finally made it to the fork in the road, seeing the fresh tracks the Mustang left behind. “Fuck, they went right. You know where that goes right?”

“The Prescott Farmhouse.”


	4. Dangerous Revelations

"Do you see anything on your side?" Chloe asked, her face pressed against the driver side window.

"Nothing, but it's hard to see through all the rain," Max answered, doing the same on her side of the truck.

"This doesn't make any sense, cars don't just disappear! There should be tracks!"

"Maybe the rain washed them away?" Max guessed, the blue-haired girl grunting in response, not buying it. Max looked up from the ground and focused on the barn, noticing the big doors were wide open. She squinted, trying to see past the heavy rainfall. "Chloe, do you see that?"

"I can't see shit, this fog is hella thick," Chloe replied before taking a closer look at the barn for herself. "Wait, yeah now I see it. What is that?"

"I'm not sure," Max said as she turned to Chloe, "but there is only one way to find out..."

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Chloe groaned, hesitantly reaching for the ignition and starting her truck. The truck splashed through a huge puddle before stopping right before the barn's entrance. "Let's do this, I guess."

Max was the first out, rushing through the rain and making it into the dilapidated barn, eager to find out what other secrets were being hidden there. The atmosphere inside was thick, and what little natural light the ominous storm clouds outside allowed seemed to disappear completely once in the barn. The brunette put all of it aside, intent on continuing her mission. She kneeled down, finally finding what she originally saw from Chloe's truck.

"It's just the police tape," Max disappointedly revealed, picking up the reflective tape and inspecting it. "It looks like someone cut it."

"First stalking, now trespassing? What's next for your mysterious helper, huh? Murder?" Chloe said sarcastically as she approached her best friend.

Max rolled her eyes as she dropped the tape, getting back up to her feet. She took a step forward when a loud crash rang throughout the bar, startling the girls and sending Max crashing to the floor. Chloe spun around quickly, ready to face the danger. She exhaled in relief, seeing it was just the wind blowing the barn doors shut.

"Damn Scaredy-Max, it wasn't that loud," Chloe teased, turning back around with a smirk.

"I know, smartass," Max shot back, still sitting on the dirty barn floor. "I slipped on something... wha-what the fuck?" She stammered, staring at the crimson liquid all over her hands.

"Are you bleeding?" Chloe questioned with concern as she dug out her phone quickly, using the flashlight to illuminate the darkness that surrounded them.

"I don't think so," Max said as she stood to her feet, checking herself for injuries and revealing the painting on the floor under her.

The painting was a simple red arrow, pointing to the open door that led to the bunker below. Both girls looked at each other before Chloe shook her head, backing away a tiny bit as Max followed the arrow. The brunette noticed this, turning back and grabbing Chloe by the hand. The blue-haired girl put up no resistance, knowing Max was determined to find this mysterious stalker.

"Hey, Max?" Chloe spoke out, still being guided down the stairs by her hand.

"Yeah?"

"Remember that time I said this was a trap?"

"Which time? The first time outside the diner or the last thousand times you've said it since?" Max asked as the duo stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Just making sure the record shows how right I am."

"Well regardless, we need to see what's behind there."

"Do we, do we really have to do that?" Chloe shot back, staring down the hall at the huge metal door that was slightly ajar.

"Yes, Chloe, we have to figure-" Max said as she stared ahead, before being interrupted.

"'Figure out what they know', God I'm starting to hate that phrase," Chloe muttered, following the brunette down the hallway.

Max slowly pulled the door open, afraid of what was on the other side. A draft of air swept her back a bit as the door fully opened, revealing an almost bare storage area. The canned goods and bottles of various liquids that were once next to the door were now gone, only the metal shelves remained. As she made her further into the bunker, she noticed the pattern continued. Jefferson's computer was gone, along with the two tables, the couch, and all the stereo and photo equipment.

"Wowsers, the police almost took every single thing that was down here," Max noted, standing where the computer table used to be, the emptiness in the room giving her voice a bit of an echo.

"Good, more evidence to put Jeffershit away, the better," Chloe replied, looking around the room intently. "This place is fucking disgusting." She spat, trying not to think about the things that happened where she was standing.

"I don't like it either but we were led here for a reason. There has to be something down here for us to find."

"Or whoever told you all this is fucking with you," Chloe argued, motioning to the empty room as evidence.

"If they were just fucking with me why would they help me with my power?"

"For their sick amusement? I'm not a stalker, I don't know how they think!"

"Just take look around the room, please?" Max beseeched, not wanting to argue any longer.

Chloe did as Max asked, checking one side of the room while Max went to the other. Max ran her hand under each shelf, hoping to find something, anything that would reassure her of this mysterious person's good intentions. After checking the last shelf, Max returned to the interior of the room. She had just about given up when she spotted a lone cardboard box in the corner, the weird symbol on it piquing Max's curiosity even more.

"Max, c'mere," Chloe said as the brunette reached the box. "I found what you were looking for. Oh shit!"

"What?!" Max left the box in the corner and rushed to Chloe's side.

"They know me! They know my name, Max!" Chloe shouted, handing Max an envelope.

"'To Max Caulfield and Chloe Price,'" Max read out loud before flipping it over and opening it. She found a letter inside, paragraphs filling out the whole sheet. "Whoa, déjà vu …"

"Go ahead, might as well read it."

"'Dear Max and Chloe, first off, I would like to apologize for the way things have gone so far. Believe me, I do not take pleasure in luring you all around town, but there is a reason for it. Everything that has happened so far, and will happen later, is for good reason. You may not believe me now, but in due time, you will see why I do things the way I do them. But I regret that there is one more thing I need to apologize for. I'm sorry for what is about to happen but Max, but you must know that you are incredibly important for what is to come. And this is the only way to be certain you are safe.'"

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Chloe demanded, feeling her anxiety levels rising. "What is going on, Max?"

Max shook her head before hesitantly continuing to read, afraid of what else would be revealed.

"'I've learned a lot in my time, but what happens with the storm is not one of them. You'll find a box in the corner with everything you'll need for the rest of today and tonight. Please, listen to me and stay put. Our relationship can be very beneficial for all of us, but don't take my word for it. Check the box. I will see you soon. And don't worry Chloe, your truck will be fine."

Chloe's eyes almost bugged out of her head as she heard the last line. She immediately broke out into a sprint for the stairs, with Max right behind her. She hurried to the barn doors, trying to push it open but it wouldn't budge.

"Open damn it!" Chloe fumed, bashing her shoulder against the barn door over and over.

"Chloe, Chloe!" Max struggled to stop Chloe from hurling herself at the door again. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Max, if we don't get out there and get back to Arcadia Bay everyone is going to die!" Chloe said, rubbing her shoulder tentatively. "And what that letter said about my truck, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like that asshole is not going to let us leave."

"It's not up to them," Max replied, checking the clock on her phone. "Okay, we still have time." She added, looking around for a way out.

Chloe returned to the barn door while Max hurried over to the hole in the wall they originally used to get in the first time they broke into the barn.

_This isn't right,_  Max thought as she pushed against the metal sheet that covered the hole in the wall, unable to move it. She took a step back, putting all of her strength into another push. This time the piece of metal gave way, bending a bit but scraping her hands in the process. She wiped off the bits of metal on her hands as Chloe heard what happened and joined her.

"Someone sealed this shut," Max informed, sitting down and getting ready to kick down the metal sheet. "You're right, whoever wrote that letter sure wants to keep us stuck here."

"Fuck that," Chloe objected, taking a seat next to Max. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

The metal sheet bent once more from the combined blow, the corner of the sheet peeling away from the wall on Max's side.

"That's it, Max! Again!" Chloe ordered. "One. Two. THREE!"

Max cried out as her foot connected with the metal, her ankle rolling over and making a sickening popping sound. She fell to her back, her hands balling into fists as she writhed in agony. Her ankle pulsed with pain, still stuck in between the metal and the wood barn.

"Fuck, Max! You're bleeding!" Chloe shouted, inspecting Max's wedged foot.

"Gimme a sec," Max said as she raised her hand, praying her power worked. "Shit!"

"What should I do? You want me to try and move it?" She asked, to which the brunette hastily shook her head.

"Can you push the sheet back so I can pull my foot out?"

Chloe nodded, getting as close to the wall as she could. "Ready? Go!" She pushed as hard as she could but it wasn't hard enough, the metal clamping back down on the brunette's ankle as she yelped. "Shit, sorry! I'll find something to help."

Chloe frantically rose to her feet, using her phone again for light. She ran off to the opposite corner, kicking at piles of hay and flipping over tables in hopes of finding something to help Max. Her eyes lit up, finding an old pitchfork and dashing back to her damsel in distress.

"Ready, Max?" Chloe questioned, using the pitchfork handle for leverage. Max nodded and gritted her teeth, ready for the worst. "Son of a bitch!" She raged as the pitchfork fell apart in her hands, the wood too old and rotted to withstand any type of force. She threw what was left in her hand across the room, readying herself to find another option.

"Chloe, look!" Max pointed to the corner of the barn closest to her, Chloe's phone light pointing that way out of coincidence.

"No way," Chloe whispered as she took the fire axe into her hands, unsure if she was hallucinating. The axe was practically brand new, setting itself apart from all the old junk in the barn.

"A little help, please?" Max asked, knocking Chloe out of her thoughts.

The new axe gave Chloe just the leverage she needed to peel the sheet of metal away just enough for Max to get her foot safely back inside.

"How bad is it?" Max inquired, unsure if she wanted to look.

"Hmm," Chloe said as she dropped to a knee. "Looks hella swollen, but at least the bleeding stopped. Can you walk?"

"Let me see…"

"Whoa there," Chloe gasped, reaching out and grabbing Max before she fell.

"It fucking hurts," Max whimpered as Chloe carefully lowered her back to the ground.

"Don't worry, Maximus, I'm getting us the fuck outta here!"

An idea formed in Chloe's head. She quickly found the side of the barn that the rain was hitting, checking the wood panels with the handle of the axe, looking for a weak point. Finding what she was looking for, she took a step back and readied the axe. In one fluid motion, she brought the axe down against the warped, rotten wood, causing splinters to go flying in every direction.

"Hey look, door's open," Chloe joked after finally creating an opening big enough for both of them to fit through. She hurried over to Max, helping her up and assisting her as they walked.

The duo emerged from the barn to a horrific sight. The clouds overhead had multiplied, signaling the tornado was coming soon. Chloe hurried to the passenger side door, opening it and helping Max inside before sprinting around to the other side.

"Max, time?"

"We can still make it, but we have to hurry!"

"Better buckle up then, 'cuz we're about to go into MAX-imum OVERDRIVE!" Chloe shouted, as she turned the key in the ignition but nothing happened. "What the fuck?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, it should be-" Chloe started before she remembered what the letter said about her truck. "The stalker asshole did something to it!"

"Chloe, wait!" Max begged but Chloe had already hopped out of the seat. She watched as the blue-haired girl popped the hood, hoping she could fix it despite the storm.

Max's focus shifted away from the truck, watching as the rain continued to come down. The winds were picking up, and Max was unsure of how much time they actually had.

"Chloe!" Max cried out the window, the downpour splashing into the truck.

"Just hold on, I can fix it. It's just a little hard to see."

Max believed she could, but they were running out of time. She watched the trees across the road sway, the winds bending and snapping off branches. Thunder roared in the distance, a warning to those who could hear of the destruction about to come. Max jumped back and flinched as lightning struck a tree down the road. That was the last straw for Max, who hopped out of the truck and limped to the front, using the side of the truck for support.

"Chloe, we need to get back inside," Max pleaded, tugging a bit at the taller girl's sleeve.

"We can't, we have to save them!"

"Chloe, the truck doesn't work. We have to get to the bunker!"

"I just need more time!"

"Chloe we don't have anymore, look! The storm is here! If we stay out here we're going to die!"

"I am not leaving my mom to die in some diner, Max!" Chloe retorted, her anger rising. "If you don't believe me then you go back to that bunker, I'll fucking save everyone myself then!"

Max did doubt her, but only because the storm was on top of them. She went to apologize, placing her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"Just leave me the fuck alone," Chloe snapped, shaking away the brunette's touch, not taking her eyes off the truck.

Max recoiled back, Chloe's words stinging her to her core. She hung her head, turning to the barn and away from her best friend. She looked between the two choices she had, stay with Chloe or go back to the bunker. After thinking for a moment, she decided to try for the bunker, hoping Chloe would follow her lead. She leaned off the truck a bit and tested her ankle, but the even the smallest amount of weight sent waves of pain through her leg. She tried to tough it out but the first step she took sent her crashing to the wet ground. Determined, she managed to slowly rise up to her feet but once again her ankle gave way, sending her back into the mud. Max tried to hold her emotions back, but the pain of her ankle combined with the thought of losing everyone in Arcadia Bay caused hot tears to fill her eyes.

"C'mon, hippie," Chloe murmured, surprising Max as she picked her up from the mud and escorted her back to the bunker. She let her down on the floor, taking a seat across from her. "I'm sorry I blew up at you."

"I'm sorry I got your clothes all muddy…" Max replied, both girls showing a tiny smile, but only for a moment.

"Max," Chloe breathed out in a serious tone. "Seriously, I'm sorry for getting angry at you. This isn't your fault."

"I led us here..."

"And I drove us. But it was the fucking stalker that sabotaged my truck. They left us trapped in this fucked up place. Most importantly, they are the reason everyone we know in Arcadia Bay is dead. My mom is dead because of them, Max. They're going to pay for this."

"Chloe we don't know for sure if-"

"I mean it, Max. I'm going to find out who did this… and I'm going to kill them."


	5. A Peek into the Future

Max sat quietly in the middle of the room, nervously watching Chloe pace back and forth in deep thought. The brunette had been trying to think of something to say since she sat down, but the right words eluded her. She used all of her might to get back onto her feet, her ankle pulsating with pain as hobbled her way to the box in the corner of the room. She grabbed the sides and hauled it to the middle of the room, taking a seat beside it.

_Our relationship can be beneficial to all of us, but don't take my word for it. Check the box,_  Max thought back to the letter, her curiosity starting to overpower her skepticism.

"Chloe," Max said in a soft tone, bringing the blue-haired girl back to the present. "Are you thirsty?"

"I'm good, thanks," she replied quietly, still pacing around the room.

"Hungry? Cold? I bet there are some blankets in there," Max asked again, looking for any excuse to open the box.

"Max, I'm fine."

"Okay," the brunette murmured, eyes fixated on the box in front of her.

Max reached out to peel the tape off, unable to resist the temptation any longer. The tape peeled away easily, exposing the contents inside. She bit her lip nervously, unsure of what to expect. She peeked over the top, pulling out several bottles of water.

_Gross,_ Max thought to herself as she pulled out a bunch of packages of beef jerky, setting them next to the water.

Next, she pulled out a pair of phone chargers, leaving her feeling a bit uneasy.  _This is the charger you get in the box when you buy my phone new. I don't think they even sell these anymore; my phone is too old. But why not just pack a universal charger? Or maybe it was a deliberate choice, and they intentionally picked these chargers to let us know they are watching? Maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ she thought as she set the chargers aside and continued her.

Max felt that uneasiness creep up again as she picked up the box of instant ice packs with a note that read 'hope you feel better, Max.'  _This is starting to get really weird. First, it was the new axe conveniently placed in the barn, then the very specific phone chargers, and now ice packs labeled explicitly for me even though I hurt myself after this box was left in here._ Max took a second to think, if she didn't know better, this person almost seems like they have powers of their own.  _No need to jump to conclusions, all this could easily be explained as just one big coincidence. Maybe whoever tried to keep us locked up here left the axe by accident. And they are obviously stalking me, so of course they know what kind of phone I have. As for the ice packs, it isn't crazy to think I might hurt myself trying to escape. Yeah, good detective work, Max._

She decided to leave it at that and focus on her injury. She fished out an ice pack, squeezing it gently to activate it before placing it on her ankle, the cold sensation chasing away the pain.

She redirected her attention back to the box, almost disappointed as she reached the last item inside, a giant sleeping bag. Max dug it out and tossed it aside with a huff. She grabbed the sides of the box to put it back in the corner when her eyes grew wide, finally noticing two white boxes that were carefully tucked underneath the sleeping bag. She picked them up and placed them down in front of her, sweeping away the now empty cardboard box. Max studied the gifts carefully, noting their difference in size. She inspected hers, the bigger of the two, more closely.

"' _Let your faith be bigger than your fear,'_ " Max read the tag on the box with her name on it out loud, catching Chloe's attention.

"Let your revenge be sweeter than a douchebag stalker's gift," Chloe mocked, taking a seat across from Max.

"What does yours say?"

"' _When your anger rises, think of the consequences,'_  that's it?" Chloe spat, turning the card over. "' _What it looks like and what it is are usually two completely different things.'_ Just when I thought I couldn't hate this asshole any more than I already do," she added, tossing the card aside.

"Wait a second," Max replied, flipping her card over. "There isn't anything written on the back of mine, I wonder why they wrote on yours." She pondered for a moment before continuing. "Are you gonna open it?"

"I guess," Chloe muttered, her stubbornness not allowing her to show her true curiosity. Her jaw dropped as she pulled out a shiny gold and navy blue object.

"A lighter? Looks expensive," Max noted, starting to wonder what her present could possibly be.

"It's hella fucking expensive, I've always wanted one but I never had the dough," Chloe confirmed, trying to keep a stoic impression as she flipped the lighter open, the euphonious 'cling' backing up her claim.

Seeing Chloe's gift, Max couldn't resist any longer, popping the top off of her gift and gasping in disbelief.

"Oh. My. Dog…" Max whispered, carefully lifting her present out of the box. "It's a brand freakin' new DSLR camera! No way, they even included a lens!"

"A what camera?" Chloe asked, not understanding the hype.

"A digital SLR camera!" The brunette gushed, inspecting her new lens as well.

"Is that one a good model?"

"Good?!" Max replied, flabbergasted. "Sturdy magnesium body, HDR, high-res LCD monitor for quick feedback on your shots-

"Okay I get it you nerd, it's a top-tier camera."

"I'll say. This thing would even make Victoria jealous," Max commented with a smirk. "This camera and the lens… they must have cost a fortune. Why go through all of this; why spend all this money?"

"I don't care, this fucker killed everyone we cared about, Max. And now they think they can just make it all better with gifts? Fuck that. I'm keeping the lighter, but it changes nothing. I'm still going to kill-"

"Chloe!" Max interrupted, trying to keep her best friend from losing it. "We don't know what happened in Arcadia Bay, not yet. We have to believe they got out, that they're safe."

"Why? Why do we gotta do that, Max?" Chloe questioned, her voice cracking slightly. "You said yourself that this tornado wasn't going to leave anything behind. In case you haven't noticed, for the past five years things haven't exactly been going my way and the way I see it, this is just another chance for fate to fuck me over!" She added before she rose to her feet and retreated back to the other side of the room.

Max stayed silent, figuring anything she said wouldn't help the situation anyway. All she could do was inspect her new camera, the expensive toy taking her mind off the feeling of dread she had whenever she thought about what was to come tomorrow.

 

[...]

 

_This can't be happening,_  Max thought, standing in front of the spot that used to be the Two Whales Diner.  _The diner isn't supposed to be completely demolished. There has to be something left._ She took a step back, turning around and observing the rest of the damage. The rest of Arcadia Bay suffered the same fate, the once cozy town now a flattened wasteland.

"Chloe!" Max called out after she finally noticed she was alone, her desperate cry echoing out around her. "CHLOE!" she shouted again, finding the blue-haired girl standing at the end of the street with her back to Max. She rushed to her as quickly as she could, stopping at a line of dead bodies that separated the two. "Chloe?" The brunette tried for the third time, but her best friend didn't move a muscle. Her eyes shifted downward to bodies and the dirty, blood-stained sheets that covered them. They spanned across the entire street, and something inside Max told her she shouldn't step over them. "Chloe, please turn around…" Max trailed off, horrified as three of the bodies in front of her stood up.

"You killed us, Max."

"K-Kate?" Max stuttered, recognizing the voice. The sheet fell to the ground, confirming Max's guess. "Nooo…" She added with tears in her eyes, the image of a battered and bloodied Kate making her sick to her stomach.

"Hope she was worth it," a second voice added as another sheet fell away.

"Warren, I'm so, so sorry," Max cried, barely able to recognize her friend due to the severe burns that covered his face. "I didn't mean for this to happen…"

"Bullshit," Victoria spat as she revealed herself, a huge blood spot on her stomach. "You don't care about anyone other than  _her._  Which is fucking sad, even for you. You can't see you're just Chloe's lapdog, someone she strings along because she's bored. Because  _Rachel is gone._ "

Max tried to reply, to defend herself, but everything she said got caught in her throat. As she struggled to speak, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and watched as a shadow rose up behind her, blocking out the sunlight. Max turned around slowly, meeting Joyce's harrowing gaze. The burns she suffered turning her once light blue diner uniform to dark black, along with that half of her body.

"She'll blame you for this," Joyce warned in a haunting voice. "Do you actually think you can live happily ever after? That you two can get past this? She'll never forgive you.  _She'll never love you._ " She scoffed, making Max flinch at the last line. Joyce bent down to the younger girl's level, her face morphing into one of pain and anger. " **YOU KILLED HER MOTHER!"** She roared as the town around them exploded in a flash of white.

"Max! Max! Max!" Chloe shouted, shaking the brunette by the shoulder. "Thank fuck," Chloe sighed as Max finally opened her eyes. "You were sweating and mumbling shit… Bad dream?"

"Yeah, a bad dream," Max breathed out, wiping away at her forehead. "How long have you been awake?" She asked, wanting to take her mind off of that nightmare.

"Not long at all, your creepy mumbling woke me up."

"Creepy?" Max inquired as she sat up.

"Yeah, you were mumbling about death and shit," Chloe informed with a furrowed brow. "Wanna talk about it?"

"It's nothing," Max waived her off, not wanting to think about it anymore. "Have you checked outside yet?"

Chloe shook her head, "I was waiting for you."

Max slowly stood up to her feet, grabbing what she needed before turning to Chloe, "ready as I'll ever be."

"How's the ankle?" Chloe asked, ready to help Max walk but the brunette waved her off.

"The ice helped, I have to limp, but at least I can walk under my own power."

The duo reached the top of the bunker stairs, finding the barn doors wide open. Both girls stepped out into the chilly morning air, noticing the area around them wasn't hit as hard as they thought it would be.

"I guess the storm didn't reach this far inland?" Max commented, opening the passenger side door.

"Mmm," Chloe hummed, not wanting to talk about the storm until she had to. She stopped at the driver side door, looking down at her feet. "That whole time I was checking under the hood…" Chloe bent down and picked up the gas can in front of her, "And all they did was siphon the gas out?"

"Good thing we took cover when we did then, you wouldn't have been able to fix it anyway," Max pointed out as she watched Chloe fuel the truck back up.

"I'M KEEPING THE GAS CAN, ASSHOLE!" Chloe yelled into the forest around her as she tossed the gas can into the back of her truck, hoping whoever left it could hear her somehow. She jumped into the driver seat, ready to start the car when an idea hit her. "Max!" She exclaimed, scaring the small brunette out of her thoughts. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm okay," Max replied after calming herself down. "Nervous as hell… about, ya know…"

"I mean, are you still feeling hella weak or do you think you're at full power?"

"I could give it a try, why? What are you thinking?"

"The stalker left the gas can, right?" Chloe theorized, earning a nod from Max. "Maybe you could rewind far enough to catch their ass!"

Max thought for a second, then lifted her hand and watched as time rewound around her.

"...far enough to catch their ass!"

"Yes!" Max cheered, wrapping her arms around Chloe's neck.

"I know, my plan is genius," Chloe said with a small smirk, returning the hug. "But for real, what happened?" She added after Max pulled away.

"I have my power back, Chloe!" Max revealed.

"Fuck yeah! Max is back at full power! Now let's catch this dickhead!"

Max raised her hand, trying to keep her focus as she watched Chloe backtracked her way into the bunker. She held her position until the sharp pain in her skull drew all of her attention away from her power. She stepped out of the truck, hoping the fresh air would help. She looked up at the sky, using her hand to shield her eyes from the morning sun.

_Just a little longer, I need to see who left the gas can._ Max used one hand to stabilize herself against the truck as she rewound again. Max noticed that time wavered and cut in and out around her, figuring it was the headache holding her back and interfering with her focus. She pushed on anyway, not wanting to let Chloe down. She gritted her teeth as the muscles in her hand starting to cramp, her body signaling her desperately to stop. She continued to ignore it, pushing herself even further until her headache became unbearable and her vision darkened.

"There you are!"

Max woke up slowly, a frantic Chloe kneeling in front of her with worry plastered all over her face. "Chloe, what happened?"

"You wanna tell me? You had me scared shitless with your disappearing act," Chloe replied, carefully helping the brunette to her feet. "Max, you gotta little…." She added, pointing to her nose.

"Shit," Max grimaced, using her sleeve to wipe away the blood. "I got my powers back-"

"I figured," Chloe interrupted. "It was either that, or you found Nathan's coke stash in the bunker last night."

"And you had the idea to rewind back to catch the stalker, so I did, or at least I tried. They must have been out here way earlier in the morning. I tried to go back farther but that's… kinda the last thing I remember before passing out."

"Damn Max, I don't think my idea included you frying your brain in the process," Chloe said as she helped her back into the truck.

Max watched Chloe make her way around to the driver side, stopping just before the door. The brunette leaned over and rolled the window down, "Yes, they only siphoned out the gas."

"Your stalker is such an asshole," Chloe mumbled as she made her way to her fuel tank, emptying the whole can. "I'M KEEPING THE GAS CAN!" She shouted, causing Max to smile a bit at the déjà vu.

 

[...]

 

"Max," Chloe said with a heavy tone as they approached Arcadia Bay. "We should probably talk about what we're gonna do when we get back."

"Yeah," Max replied with a sigh, knowing this conversation was coming. "I've been thinking about this non-stop, and the only thing I can think of is jumping back again to redo this. The only problem is, what photo do I use? All my photos are in my dorm… Whatever's left of it anyway. Wait! You still have the butterfly photo right?"

"Yeah, in my… room," Chloe slammed her hand down on the steering wheel in frustration. "What are we gonna do now? If you can't go back… My mom…"

"Hey, listen to me," Max interjected quickly, "we will find a way to fix this alright? We  _always_  do, this time won't be any different," She added, reassuring her best friend, who nodded in reply.

Both girls eyes were fixated on the road ahead, recognizing the upcoming hill that overlooked the entirety of Arcadia Bay. The air in the truck was sucked out as they reached the top, both girls bracing for the sight of destruction the tornado left behind.

"Wha-what?" Max stammered, utterly perplexed. All she could do was stare at her hometown in the distance, mouth agape, as if it were a mirage that could disappear at any moment.

"How….. how is that possible?" Chloe, who had pulled the truck over at the top of the hill, replied, equally confused.

"The storm was coming, we saw it yesterday. What happened to it?"

"Not a fucking clue," Chloe said before being interrupted by her phone. "Mom?" She asked as she turned the phone on speaker.

"Chloe?" Joyce answered from the other line. "You're up early."

"Hi, Joyce!" Max greeted with exuberance as Chloe handed her the phone and started her truck.

"Hello, Max," Joyce happily replied. "I figured you two were together when Chloe didn't come home last night. Still would have liked her to return my texts…"

"Sorry, Mom!" Chloe shouted towards the phone, keeping her eyes on the road.

"So, Joyce, that storm was something huh?" Max cut in, trying to get information from Joyce without being obvious.

"Well, it was no  _catastrophic tornado,"_  Joyce quipped, causing Max to cringe at the thought of how she acted yesterday. "But it did uproot some trees and knock out power in some parts of town."

"Yeah exactly, what a storm," Max said, hoping she sounded convincing.

"So what are you girls planning to do today?"

Chloe smirked leaned over towards her phone with a smirk, "get a few new tats, maybe a piercing or two, you know, the usual. Right, Maxter?"

"Obviously," Max responded with a smile as she rolled her eyes.

"Just be safe you two, David filled me in on what happened. I'm so proud of both of you. If you need me, you know where I will be."

"Thanks, Joyce."

"Love ya, Mom!"

Max set down Chloe's phone on the seat next to her after hanging up, pulling out her own phone afterwards. The messages she tried to send yesterday never sent, but she was just thankful it all worked out anyway. "Awh, somebody vandalized the Tobanga yesterday," she said as she read an email from Principal Wells. "I wonder how they know it wasn't damaged in the storm."

"Because people are assholes," Chloe replied before pulling into the parking lot of a gas station.

"What are we doing here?" Max asked, knowing the gas tank was full after Chloe used the stalker's gas can to refill this morning.

"Max," Chloe said dramatically as she turned to the brunette and grabbed her by the hands. "Fate has let us off the hook for once. It's time for a fucking celebration, don't you think?!" She exclaimed, waving her hands in the air and rushing out into the store before Max could reply.

Before the brunette even knew what was going on, she was being dragged up to the lighthouse by Chloe, who had the celebratory drinks in her other hand.

_I'll never get tired of this view,_  Max thought as she stood near the cliff that overlooked Arcadia Bay, letting the refreshing rays of the sun wash over her. It hadn't even been a week since her 'vision' brought her here, but it felt like a lifetime ago. At least this visit was a happy one; no deadly tornadoes anymore, she hoped.

"Hello? Earth to Max?" Chloe said, knocking Max out of her thoughts. "Are you going to space out over there or are you going to join me in celebrating?" She added, grabbing a can from beside her and cracking it open.

"I don't know, beer isn't really my thing," Max replied as she took a seat next to Chloe near the edge of the cliff.

"C'mooon," the blue-haired girl whined as she gave Max a tiny nudge, "consider yourself peer pressured." Max hesitantly took the can she was offered, giving Chloe a free hand to dig something out of her back pocket. "Unless you feel like blazing with me," she continued, sparking up her 'medication' thanks to her new lighter.

"I think I'll just stick with this," Max commented before taking a sip from her beer. "Aauck… so gross."

Chloe couldn't help but snicker at Max's reaction, her eyes closed and nose crinkled. She extended her hand out, offering Max a puff, "going once, going twice…. you sure Max? You'd make a hella sexy stoner. Alright, fine. Sold! To the badass sidekick with the awesome hair."

Max smiled as she looked over the ledge, trying to hide her reddening cheeks. She watched her dangling feet hit the side of the mountain, sending bits of rock crashing down to the water below. Her fantastic mood was cut short as pressure suddenly built up in her head. She struggled to keep her mind focused as a gust of wind hit her face and she closed her eyes instinctively. When she opened them, she was all alone just outside the Prescott Dormitories. She fought off the pounding in her skull as best as she could as she spun around, finding Chloe wrestling with a hooded figure that had their back to Max.

She broke out into a sprint towards them, but no matter how hard she tried she still felt like she was running in slow motion. Finally she reached the duo, just as a gunshot echoed across the dormitory courtyard and Chloe doubled over and crumpled to the ground.

"Nooo!" Max screamed as the figure turned around and reached out for her with their other hand. As their hand made contact with Max's arm she was zapped back to the lighthouse cliff, her vision blurry and her balance shaky as she sat near the edge.

"Max!" Chloe exclaimed as she watched Max teeter near the edge of the cliff. She sprung into action, their bodies colliding and landing safely away from the ledge. "What the hell was that?" She added after finally catching her breath.

"A-another vision, I think," Max choked out, trying to get her bearings. "Thanks for the save."

"Don't mention it, just please tell me there isn't another apocalypse coming..."

"Not this time," Max answered quickly.

"Then why do you look like-" Chloe stopped herself as she read Max's expression. "I died  _again,_  didn't I?"

Max nodded weakly in response, "someone in a hoodie... shot you."

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know, it all happened so fast. I was there, you got shot, then I was snapped back here." Max revealed as she aggressively swiped at her jeans, trying to get the dirt off. "Why is this happening? Every time something good happens something else just has to pop up and remind us that there is always something shitty right around the next corner," she added, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, c'mon now," Chloe comforted her best friend as she knelt down beside her. "Some creep in a hoodie is no match for us anyway. I'll fuck them up myself if I have to."

"Um, I appreciate the idea Chloe, but I think that might be how you end up getting shot in the first place…"

"Fine, then we'll fuck 'em up together! Hell, we changed the first vision didn't we?"

"But we didn't do anything," Max replied, giving Chloe a questioning look. "How can we do it again if we didn't do it the first time?"

"Eh, we'll figure it out," Chloe answered with a shrug, causing Max to finally give a tiny smile. "What?"

"We're saying that a lot nowadays, huh?"

"Well, I never made any kind of plan for time traveling or visions, have you?" Chloe asked, earning a look from Max that told her what she already knew. "So then we'll just continue to wing it. I mean,  _what could possibly go wrong?"_ She added with a smirk.

Max rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet, leaving Chloe behind as she headed to the truck.

"What? Was the joke  _that_  bad?" Chloe called out before gathering her things and trying to catch up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, hope you like it. Let me know what yo think, thanks for reading!


	6. Alibis

"What else do you remember about your freaky 'Final Destination' vision," Chloe asked, keeping her eyes on the road as the pair made their way to Blackwell Academy. "You know, so when it happens for real I can kick the shooter's ass."

Max rolled her eyes and smiled a bit as she turned away from the window, opening her mouth to answer but her mind was blank. Other than the confrontation between Chloe and the shooter, she couldn't remember anything else about the vision.

"Hello?" Chloe interrupted Max's thoughts. "Hey, this new jump isn't like, slowly destroying your brain or something right? You've been spacing out like crazy."

"No," Max replied, offended a bit. "At least I don't think so. I was just trying to remember the vision."

"Yeah, the vision from only, like ten minutes ago. And?"

"I can't remember anything about it, besides you getting shot."

"Maax…" Chloe trailed off, skepticism in her tone.

"I swear it's not because of the time jump," Max answered with sincerity, "If something is truly wrong with me, you'll be the first to know."

"Alright, alright," the blue-haired girl caved as they came to a stoplight. She turned to face Max, "but I got my eye you, Caulfield. So, about your vision..."

"Yeah, okay, the vision," Max answered, her eyes meeting Chloe's. "It was weird, almost like it was centered around you being shot, and everything else was out of focus."

"So you don't remember  _anything_  else?" Chloe questioned, "not even something simple like if it was at night or during the day?"

"I-I," Max stopped as she racked her brain, trying to recall even the slightest of details. "I can't remember," she finally said with a sigh.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to keep my piece strapped on me at all times," Chloe announced with a shrug.

"Wait, you still have David's gun? Where?" The brunette inquired, sitting up hastily in her seat.

"In the glovebox," Chloe answered quickly, thrown off by Max's tone. "What's the big deal?"

"Hold on, I need to be sure," Max responded, popping open the glovebox. She carefully pried the revolver from its hiding spot. "Shit," she added as she inspected the gun.

"What?!" Chloe asked again, her eyes darting between Max and the road. "Will you tell me before I freak out?"

"This is what they used to shoot you," Max revealed, taking the bullets out of the gun. She turned to Chloe, seeing the look on her face, "this way, you can't be shot." Max finished as she put the bullets in her backpack.

Chloe nodded, returning her focus back to the road as they pulled up to Blackwell. "Shit, Bacon Patrol is out in full force today."

_Sean Prescott must feel the walls closing in on him. Serves him right, that's what he gets for building a bunker that was used to destroy so many lives. I just hope these cops are here to collect the evidence, not destroy it. Who knows how many people Mr. Prescott has in his back pocket,_ Max pondered as she watched countless police officers rushing around the front of Blackwell, some heading inside while others were carrying boxes towards their cruisers in the parking lot. The brunette snapped out of her thoughts as Chloe stopped at the Blackwell front stairs.

"You aren't staying?" Max wondered, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Of course I am, hippie," Chloe replied with a smile, "but peep the parking lot." She instructed with a tilt of her head.

"Oh," Max said simply.

"Yeah, don't feel like getting busted today. Especially after the little party we had up by the lighthouse," Chloe joked. "I'll head back around and park farther down the block. Meet you in the dorm?"

Max nodded, hopping out and watching as Chloe drove off. Her attention was snatched away by the loud machinery on the football field across the street; players and coaches alike trying to fix the damage done by the storm.

_Probably paid for by Mr. Prescott, trying to save face before his empire implodes…_  Max theorized before turning around and heading for the dorms.

"Wowser," she said aloud as she reached the dormitory courtyard, observing the damage. The grass was torn and uprooted, along with parts of the now broken sprinkler system. "Samuel has his work cut out for him."

_Speaking of Samuel, I wonder what he thinks about the totem being desecrated,_ Max thought to herself as she worked her way through the wreckage to the maintenance room.

"Samuel?" She called out, opening the door slowly. Finding it empty, she walked to the back of the room, stopping at the door that led to a small lounge in the back. She knocked on the door, thinking Samuel might be on a break. After no response, Max turned back around with a huff, heading out of the room.

Back outside, what was left of the Blackwell totem caught her eye. She felt her legs move, almost by themselves, as she was drawn to the spot where the totem previously stood. Max stopped at the edge of the dense forest, bits and pieces of the totem strewn across the grass in front of her.

She bent down to get a better look, remembering the email she received from Principal Wells.  _I can see how they know it was vandalism. The edges of these pieces look like they were cut with something sharp, nothing a storm would leave behind. Cut to pieces and then burned? Why would anyone do this?_  She asked herself before picking up one of the pieces that weren't charred, placing it in the palm of her hand to inspect it further. She immediately recoiled back, shaking her hand wildly as the burning sensation grew, sending the piece of the totem flying into the forest. Max rubbed her palm, seeing a red blotch the totem left.

_What the hell was that?!_

"Stick 'em up, hippie!" Chloe grunted, grabbing Max by her sides, causing the brunette to shoot straight up with a yelp.

"Jesus, Chloe," Max breathed out, barely able to compose herself.

"Sorry, didn't mean to give you a heart attack," Chloe apologized, trying to read her best friend's expression. "Is everything okay?"

Max hesitated, looking back down at her hand. The red spot on her palm was gone, and she started to question if she actually was going crazy. She ultimately decided not to worry Chloe, so she quickly spoke up, "no, everything is fine."

Chloe eyeballed the brunette suspiciously, before continuing, "alright, because we need to plan to-"

"Wait," Max interrupted, staring off into the distance behind Chloe. "Do you see that?"

Chloe spun around and both girls caught sight of an individual making their way across Blackwell main courtyard. The person in question kept their head down, their hoodie concealing their identity. They weaved around the scurrying officers with ease, heading straight for the dormitory.

"Alright, well that's obviously the stalker," Chloe said, cracking her knuckles before starting towards the figure. "He can't shoot me if I don't have my gun, let's do this shit."

"No, what? No," Max argued, pulling her friend back to her. "What if it's just a student and you end assault someone in front of the whole police department?"

Chloe stretched her neck in annoyance before folding, "you're right, you're right. What should we do then? Head inside?" She asked as the figure descended the stairs that led from the main school courtyard to the dorms.

"No, I have an idea, follow me."

Max led them around the side of the dormitory building to the back, where she stationed herself against the wall, watching the way they came. "If we go inside, we won't be sure if this person was stalking us or not. This way, if they follow us…"

"We know for damn sure they are after us," Chloe finished before looking around. "And with all these trees and bushes for cover, we can get some answers without being noticed by people on the street. Clever shit, hippie."

"Shit, they're still coming," Max whispered, pulling away from the corner of the building to face Chloe. "How are we going to do this?"

"What!?" Chloe whispered back. "I thought you had something planned! You took away my gun!"

"Okay, let me think," Max breathed out, her mind racing. "Okay, uhhh… Let's just... jump out and hope we can take them by surprise… I guess?"

"Great speech, coach," Chloe deadpanned.

As Max readied herself at the corner of the building, Chloe started searching around her feet as an idea popped into her head.

_Okay, two versus one, numbers are in our favor. Get ready, you can do this, Max, here they come. ONE. TWO. THRE-_

Max was interrupted by a flash of blue hair flying by her, followed by the hardest thud she's ever heard in her life. She emerged from her position to see Chloe standing over the figure, still holding an enormous branch.

"What. The. Hell. Was that?!" Max shouted, joining Chloe next to the unconscious body. "Please tell me you didn't just kill someone..."

"Nah, I barely swung this thing," Chloe defended herself, tossing the branch behind her into the woods. She then took a small step forward, kicking the person's boot to see if she could get a response.

"Chloe!" Max scolded, crouching down to a knee.

"What? They do that all the time in the movies."

"I think you've done enough damage," Max responded. She slowly reached for the person's hood, unsure of what to expect. The hood fell, revealing the person's identity. "Gage?!"

"Gage?" Chloe repeated, stunned. "Wait, you know this guy?"

"Kinda, we went to school together in Seattle," Max revealed as she studied Gage, much to Chloe's annoyance. "But he looked different back then," she added, noting his once long black hair was now cut short on the sides and pulled into a small ponytail on top. And the black welt growing under his right eye was also a new addition. She stood up, taking a sigh of relief after seeing he was still breathing. "Well, at least you didn't kill him."

"Yeah, great," Chloe remarked sarcastically. "So what are we gonna do with your 'Seattle Stalker?'"

"Maybe I can fix this," Max hoped, stretching her wrist and biting her bottom lip a bit, out of nervousness. "I'd feel much better if we didn't assault one of my former classmates, hopefully my rewind is back."

"You sure that's a good idea? It seems like your powers limited lately, and you've been pushing yourself," Chloe quizzed, her expressing changing from one of annoyance to concern.

"I have to try," Max insisted, raising her hand up and focusing her mind, but Time remained unchanged. "Damn it, no juice!"

"Now what?"

"Well, we can't just leave him here," Max answered, trying to think of a solution.

"I mean, nothing's stopping us from doing that," Chloe retorted, arms crossed and glaring down at Gage.

"Chloe…"

"Well, think about it," Chloe implored, "what if this dude is the person stalking you? Even if he isn't the one leaving notes and driving around in the Mustang, you gotta admit it's a little weird that he just now showed up, out of nowhere. I mean, how much do you actually know about him? Because I haven't heard you mention him once since you got back to Arcadia Bay."

Max thought for a moment,  _Gage was always pretty quiet in school, plus they only hung out a couple of times. But I would have known if he was some weirdo stalker, right? And whoever is stalking me knows about my powers, and there is no way Gage does. Either way, we have to get his side of the story._

"Gage, Gage!" Max tried shaking him a bit, but it wasn't effective. "Alright, that didn't work. I guess we should get him to my room, then we can figure out what to do after that."

Chloe looked at him then back to Max, "like your dorm room? On the second floor…"

"Well… yeah?" Max replied, losing a bit of confidence in her plan.

"How are we going to do that?" Chloe questioned skeptically.

"With our muscles," Max said with a smile, while Chloe stayed unamused. "C'mon it's the least we can do after literally knocking him unconscious!"

"Argh," Chloe groaned, getting into position above Gage's head. "Let's get this over with then."

 

[...]

 

"I can't. Believe. You talked. Me into this," Chloe slowly grunted as they struggled to carry Gage up the stairs of the dormitory.

"Come on… Almost there…" Max instructed, just thankful that the first floor was clear, which allowed them to get this far undiscovered. "Finally- whooaa!" She exclaimed as the three of them collapsed in a heap at the top of the stairs.

"God damn that hurts," Chloe cursed as she rose to her feet, rubbing her shoulder tentatively.

"Almost home," Max reassured her, peeking through the small window in the door that led to the girl's dorms. "Looks clear, but let me check it out first just to be sure."

"Yeah sure, leave me with the stalker," Chloe shot back.

"Oh don't be like that, we're almost done," Max said, trying to remain positive.

Max crept into the hall, stepping lightly in the hopes that no one would hear. She stopped outside of Dana's room, silently thanking her for the loud music she was currently blasting. Max turned back to Chloe, who was peeking through the door window, giving her the all clear. Chloe burst through the door with a bang, dragging Gage all by herself.

"Whoa, that was so loud!" Max whispered nervously, her eyes shooting back and forth between all the dorm doors.

"You want to do this part?" Chloe asked through gritted teeth, struggling to keep upright. "Besides, no one's gonna hear anything with that loud ass music blaring."

Max stayed quiet, not wanting to exert her already sore muscles any more. She led the way towards her room, stopping when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Shit!"

"Get out there!" Chloe whispered, bumping into the brunette and forcing her out into the open.

Max noticed Victoria stepping out of the bathroom, and using her momentum, spun her around and switched places with her, so Victoria was now facing away from the hallway.

"Sorry about that," Max played it off cooly.

She opened her mouth to continue her distraction mission but was thrown off by Victoria's state. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot; her nose looked raw and red from irritation.

"Victoria, is everything okay?" Max inquired, taking a step forward and placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Not really," Victoria responded meekly, using a vulnerable tone that Max previously didn't even think she was capable of. "I visited Nathan today... He told me some of the fucked up shit he did. All those girls they... Max, that's not the Nathan I knew. I mean, I knew he was acting so fucking strange but I never thought that he could… Fuck, I should have said something, how could I be so fucking foolish?"

"He isn't well, Victoria," Max responded softly. "His mental state was so broken down and susceptible to influence, and Mr. Jefferson saw that weakness in him and exploited it perfectly. I'm not saying he isn't guilty, but I hope he gets help. For everyone's sake. But one thing I know for sure, Victoria, is that you can't blame yourself."

"I'm so sorry, Max," Victoria choked out, wrapping the brunette in a hug. Max used the embrace to signal Chloe to quickly cross the hallway, making sure the hug lasted long enough for Chloe to get by. "I was such a bitch to you, and everyone else here."

"Thanks, Victoria," Max acknowledged, patting the blonde girl on the back softly, "but I can think of someone who deserves an apology more than I do."

"I know," Victoria met Max's gaze. "I already talked to Kate, I visited her after talking to Nathan actually. I can't thank you enough for saving someone so sweet. If my actions caused her to take that leap, I would have never forgiven myself. She helped me realize today that the whole 'Queen Bitch' persona isn't what I want. It's not who I want to be."

"So I take it she forgave you?" Max questioned, earning a nod from Victoria. "Yeah, that's Kate alright," she murmured to herself.

"Well, I guess I better go," Victoria said, awkwardly looking down at her watch. "But we should hang out sometime Max."

"Sure thing, Victoria. Just don't expect me to be joining the Vortex Club anytime soon," Max joked, smirking a bit.

"You never know, Max. After today, I think some major changes are in order, and you'd be a perfect fit for a new and improved Vortex Club," Victoria promised as she started to back away towards her room, a small smile finally appearing on the blonde's face.

_Wowser! An actual Victoria Chase breakthrough?! I can't believe it! New timeline, new miracles, I guess. If it wasn't for the potential assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping charge waiting to happen, today might actually have been a pretty good day,_ Max thought to herself. As she recapped that entire conversation in her head, it finally hit her and she realized how long she'd left Chloe with Gage.

"Max, you okay?" Victoria asked, still close enough to see the brunette's eyes almost bulge out of her head.

"YeahgoodtalkVictoriabye!" Max spat out quickly, rushing past the blonde to her room and hoping Chloe didn't do anything drastic.

Max flung the door open, seeing Chloe with a roll of duct tape and Gage, still out cold, sitting on her computer chair. "Chloe, what the hell?" She blurted out from the doorway of her dorm, before continuing, "why are you duct taping his ankles to a chair?!"

"Because I already did his hands," Chloe answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, God," Max quaked, "this is it. This is how we end up in jail."

"Relax, you drama queen," Chloe reassured her, "I am in total control of the situation."

" _What the hell is this?"_  Victoria questioned, peeking into the room from behind Max.

"Victoria," Max squeaked, twirling around to face the blonde. "This is  _not_  what it looks like."

"Oh... Good," Victoria said slowly, "because it looks like you've kidnapped someone."

"Okay, it might be just a little bit of what it looks like," Max replied, scratching the back of her neck nervously as she stepped aside. "Might as well come in now."

"Whoawhoawhoa, what do you think you're doing?" Chloe snapped, heading across the room and getting in Victoria's face.

"Max  _just_  invited me in," Victoria answered, turning to the brunette.

"She was just being nice," Chloe argued. "Take a hint, Chase."

"Chloe, it's alright," Max jumped in, getting in between the two. "She basically knows the gist of what's going on now anyway…"

"Look, Chloe," Victoria turned back to the blue-haired girl, "I know we've had an… eventful past, but I'm just trying to-"

"Cut the crap, Victoria, I heard the lies you fed to Max in the hallway," Chloe interrupted with an incredulous look on her face as she turned to face her best friend. "You aren't buying all this right?"

"Chloe," Max said gently, "after everything that's happened, Victoria said she's trying to be a better person. And honestly, I believe her."

"Thanks, Max," Victoria murmured.

Seeing Chloe roll her eyes, Max continued, "I'm not saying you two have to be best friends, but you could give her a chance... Kate did..."

Chloe was surprised to hear that last bit of information, and for a moment she considered the idea, until the blonde interrupted.

"Uhh, Max," Victoria spoke out, "I think your prisoner is waking up."

Gage slowly came to, trying to shake the fogginess out from his skull. He finally opened his eyes, noticing the trio of ladies staring at him expectantly. "Um, hi?"

"I'll be the bad cop," Chloe whispered to Max as they approached Gage.

"Wait, what?"

"Hi?  _Hi?_ " Chloe was the first one to speak, "you stalk Max all the way from Seattle and that's all you gotta say,  **punk**?!"

"Stalk?" Gage responded, confused. "What are you talking about? Max?" He added, looking to the brunette for help.

"Stop deflecting!" Chloe ordered, fully engrossed in her 'role.' "Well, well, well, what do we got here? Any  _contraband_  in here?" She taunted as she dug into Gage's backpack, pulling out his wallet. "What kinda car you drive, Slick?"

"I don't driv-"

" **Liar!** " Chloe boomed. "I have your license right here! Now, you keep lying to me and I'll be forced to go and get the stick again!"

"Alright, alright," Max finally intervened, stepping past Chloe and starting to undo the tape on Gage's wrists. "You're relieved of your duty, Officer Friendly."

"You're no fun," Chloe mumbled, dropping Gage's wallet and retreating to Max's bed.

"So what are you doing here?" Max inquired as she picked at the tape on Gage's legs.

"Besides getting assaulted and kidnapped?" He asked with a smile. "I just transferred here."

"What, no way!" Max exclaimed, as she worked on the last piece of tape on Gage.

"Yeah, no lie, you're looking at Blackwell's newest 'Bigfoot.'" Gage confirmed, finally free from his restraints.

"Congrats, Gage," Max said with sincerity, as both of them rose to their feet.

"Yippie," Chloe grumbled, to Victoria's amusement.

"Thanks, Max," Gage answered as he made his way over to Max's mirror, inspecting the damage done to his face. "Now, mind telling me what happened earlier?"

"Oh, it's really not that big of a deal," she tried to deflect away from the topic, but Gage wasn't so easily persuaded.

"You mean I got laid out over no big deal?"

"We thought you were stalking us, dude," Chloe chimed in.

"What, why?"

"Well you're dressed in all black, for one," Max pointed out.

"And you had your hood up and you were bent over all creeper-like," Chloe added.

"And-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Gage conceded, waving off the girls. "For the record though, I saw you getting dropped at the front of the school, I was on the football field. I tried yelling for ya, but I don't think you could hear me over the machines. I guess I didn't realize how stalkerish I looked."

"Yeah you were basically asking for me to knock ya ass out," Chloe retorted, with a smirk.

"Not exactly what I was getting at, but sure," Gage replied, not willing to argue. He glanced down at his watch, "I actually need to make a call right about now, I'm not under citizen's arrest anymore right?"

"Make the call here, on speaker. Then we'll really know if you have nothing to hide," Chloe suggested, earning a shocked look from Gage as he packed up his things.

"She's kidding," Max assured him before he stepped out of the room, leaving the three girls alone.

"I wasn't kidding," Chloe said with a shrug. "Something about him still seems off to me."

"I thought he was alright," Victoria said, finally speaking up after being an observer for the whole conversation.

"Of course you would," Chloe shot back with a roll of her eyes. "I'm telling you, he's hiding  _something_."

"Max, what is Gage's last name?" Victoria asked, taking a seat at Max's computer.

"It's Miller, I think, why?" She quizzed, as Chloe followed her to where Victoria sat, eyes on the computer screen.

"Miller…" Victoria repeated as she typed. "Hmm, weird."

"See! Told you, something was up with him," Chloe boasted. "Hit us with it. Criminal record?"

"Chloe, you have a criminal record," Max said, perplexed.

"Or maybe he keeps bodies in his basement, or-"

"How could we possibly know that from a social media page?" Max questioned, still confused.

"You two done?" Victoria interrupted, a bit annoyed.

"No," Chloe spat back, trying to think of another thing to list off just to spite Victoria. She thought for a second before sighing, "damn it, I got nothin'."

"Well, what I was saying was that the only thing weird is that he hasn't updated or used any social media in forever."

"That's it?" Chloe asked, disappointment dripping from her tone.

"At least on his social media," Victoria answered, before turning back to the keyboard and punching something else in. "Wait, here's something from the web. Apparently, he was a highly rated football prospect for his freshman and sophomore year."

"Wait, they have prospects for high school football?" Max questioned, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Dude, I was watchin' this show the other day about little ass kids playing tackle football, it was hella crazy! The coaches were yelling at 'em and talking about scholarships and shit." Chloe looked at the two blank stares she was getting. "So what I'm saying if people are scouting peewee leagues and shit I guess it isn't too crazy that they do it for high school too."

"Anyways," Victoria said after shooting Chloe a strange look, "it seems like he kinda disappeared off the sports radar. I can't find stats or anything after his sophomore year. I wonder what happened."

Chloe shot Max a suspecting look, but the brunette just rolled her eyes, "if you want to know what happened, why not just ask him?"

"Nah," Chloe denied quickly, "we need to outsmart him. Mess with his mind, get inside his head, ya know? Trick him into admitting it."

"Admitting what, exactly?" Max questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Whatever he's hiding!"

Max rubbed the side of her temple before speaking, "you know how crazy that sounds, right?"

The brunette looked to Victoria for backup, but the blonde shrugged, "maybe he is hiding something."

"Don't tell me you're on the 'crazy train' too…" Max pleaded.

"I just wanna see how all this ends up," Victoria reasoned as she stood up from Max's desk.

"Even the 'Ice Queen' is on my side," Chloe said with a tiny bit of surprise in her voice.

"Hey, be nice," Max chided, repeating herself from earlier, now at peace with her newly appointed role of 'Price vs Chase' referee for the foreseeable future.

"That  _was_  me being nice," Chloe argued back.

Victoria rolled her eyes, "Chloe Price, forever the charmer."

Chloe opened her mouth to continue their little spat, but her own stomach growled, cutting her off. "Damn, being the brains of this operation is making me hella hungry."

"Two Whales?" Max suggested quickly, realizing she hadn't eaten since before being locked down in the bunker.

"Great idea, Max," Chloe spoke with a hand on her chin as she went into thinking mode. "We distract Gage with delicious diner food, then BAM!" She shouted, causing Max and Victoria to jump back. "We catch him in his web of lies, it's perfect let's go!"

The blue-haired girl rushed out of the room before anyone could say another word.

"That's whose side you picked, really?" Max asked Victoria as they headed for the door. "I mean, I'm glad you two stopped arguing for a second to even be on one side for once, but… Really?"

"What can I say," Victoria responded with a smirk, turning back to Max. "I love a good conspiracy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Gage is new to Blackwell, meanwhile, Samuel was missing, and Victoria turned a new leaf, maybe? Hope you liked the chapter, thanks for reading!


End file.
